Bicycles have long been considered as one of the most convenient means of transportation for transporting riders and other articles from one place to another. Bicycle riding has also long been regarded as a popular recreational activity and exercise. Typically, bicycles are used for enjoying local activities, such as, going to a store for shopping, commuting to work, going out to a beach or mall with family and friends, going for a recreational ride at a park, and etc.
Often, bicycle riders are carrying articles or cargoes which are normally hand-carried items. These articles or cargoes interfere with the ability of the rider to safely maneuver and control the bicycle. In order to prevent the danger of an accident or the inconvenience of riding bicycles with such items, many devices have been introduced that can be attached to the bicycle for securely holding items such as grocery bags, books, or any other hand-carried items. These devices typically mount over the rear wheel of the bicycle or to the bicycle seat. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,258,870, 4,364,497, 4,928,863, 5,350,093, 6,843,396, 8,453,895 and 8,857,686 disclose such devices.
Moreover, many adult riders may wish to ride their bicycles with their loved one, child, pet, friend, etc. To this end, many passenger seat devices have been introduced, which are also usually mounted over the rear wheel for accommodating a toddler, child or small adult as a passenger. These passenger seat devices allow a bicycle rider to conveniently maneuver the bicycle and also safely carry a passenger while riding. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,141,587, 4,964,551, 5,884,920, 7,331,629, 8,251,388 and 9,499,229 teach such devices.
Unfortunately, mounting a device for holding cargoes or mounting passenger seat device to a bicycle often demands considerable amount of time and effort. More importantly, for most bicycles, one auxiliary device that is mounted must be removed from the bicycle before mounting another auxiliary device. Still further, because such auxiliary devices are often purchased from different manufacturers, different tools may be required for assembly. Other times, compatibility and interchangeability of the cargo holding device and the passenger seat device on a single bicycle may also generate problems in quickly mounting and removing these auxiliary devices.